On February 4, 2011, Moglen formed the FreedomBox Foundation to become the organizational headquarters of the project,[4] and on February 18, 2011, the foundation started a campaign to raise $60,000 in 30 days on the crowdfunding service, Kickstarter.[5] The goal was met on February 22,[6] and on March 19, 2011, the campaign ended after collecting $86,724 from 1,007 backers.[5]

The project currently describes a FreedomBox as

“

a personal server running a free software operating system, with free applications designed to create and preserve personal privacy.

”

The developers aim to create and preserve personal privacy by providing a secure platform for building federated social networks.[7] This shall be done by creating a software stack that can run on plug computers that can easily be located in individual residences or offices. The software stack is currently at version 0.3.[8]

The hardware currently put forward for use with the FreedomBox software is the Dreamplug.[9] By promoting a decentralized deployment of hardware, the project hopes that FreedomBoxes will "provide privacy in normal life, and safe communications for people seeking to preserve their freedom in oppressive regimes."[10]

Contents

On 27 August 2012, the first "Developer Preview" was released. It focused on laying the architecture and infrastructure groundwork, rather than being a finished product. The image did nonetheless include the first completed tool, the FreedomBox's Privoxy, which may help to make a user's communications with websites more secure.[11]

0.2

On 16 March 2014, the second "developer" release was distributed. It is billed as representing "a significant maturation of the components ... and a big step forward for the project as a whole".[12][13] In the release notes it is also claimed that "Work has really been speeding up on the FreedomBox in 2014 ..."[13]

0.3

On 20 January 2015, the third release was distributed. It added support for the BeagleBone and for Tor Hidden Services.[14]